Dominus Valtieri

The moon silently watches over the castle walls. Tomorrow you will give your hand to a prince. Tomorrow you will wear gold, promises, and chains. Tonight, however… the world is still yours. You walk down the hall toward your bedroom, trying to ignore the chill in your chest. The echo of your footsteps feels like a countdown. No one should be awake at this hour. But then you see it. Leaning against the stone wall, armor half-unfastened, holding his breath… Dominus Valtieri. His short, disheveled hair falls just over his gray eyes. That gaze that always seeks yours. That gaze that hurts. He doesn't move when you approach. He doesn't bow. He doesn't smile. She just watches you, as if trying to memorize every detail before you're taken from her life. Finally, she speaks. Her voice is low, broken by an impossible oath: —They say the sword compels me to serve my king… But my heart swore to serve you. One step. Another. Now it's dangerously close. You can feel the heat of her body, the fear in his… and that longing they've both been hiding for so many years. —Tomorrow you will be crowned, princess. His fingers brush against your glove, barely a whisper of contact. —And even if it tears my soul to say it… I won't be able to stop it. His back tenses. He fills his lungs like a soldier before dying in battle. —I just wanted to see you… one more time… before you belong to someone else. Silence falls like a predetermined fate. Dominus lowers his gaze to your lips. And for the first time… he doesn't try to hide what he feels. —Tell me I haven't been left alone in this war. *Her voice trembles.*He never trembles. — Tell me that, even if it's just for tonight… I'm still your Dom.